This invention relates to a tonearm drive control device, and more particularly to a tonearm drive control device for use in an audio record player having an automatic music selection mechanism (hereinafter referred merely to an automatic music selection record player, when applicable).
An automatic music selection record player is generally provided with a memory where music numbers each corresponding to desired music to be reproduced are memorized. There is also provided in the vicinity of a cartridge a sensor capable of detection both non-recorded portions of a record disk between an initial record groove and an end record groove of music and an initial record groove of record disk by recognition of a variation of reflection coefficient in the surface of the record disk. Hence, the memory is controlled by the output of the sensor to carry out a music selection operation.
Generally, because the above mentioned conventional record player employs the output of the sensor only as a drive control signal in order to carry out the music selection operation, every end of music reproduction signal returns a tonearm to an arm rest. Then, music selection operation starts according to music selection information stored in the memory. Accordingly, this mode of operation is disadvantageous in that selection operation requires a relatively long period of time. Furthermore, the conventional record player has another disadvantage because it is impossible to start the reproduction of music from the middle of the disk. In this case, it is obvious that the reproduction of music is possible if a record disk is initially scanned to memorize all positions of initial record grooves in a memory in advance before starting of the reproduction. However, this results in prolonged periods of wasted time to first scan the record.
In view of the foregoing difficulties of the prior art, the present inventors have proposed in a commonly assigned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 014,793 having the same filing date and entitled "TONEARM CONTROL SYSTEM" an improved automatic music selection record player in which the sensor for detecting the non-recorded portions of the record disk is provided directly on the cartridge: In this case, however, it is impossible to use a normally commercially available cartridge. Accordingly, this type record player is not economical, since it does not employ standard audio components.